Ghaziabad: Councillors to continue sit-in till board meeting minutes released

During the session, the board, with a resounding majority, rejected the proposed property tax hike as per the newly implemented structure

Several councillors of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation staged a sit-in at the corporation headquarters at Navyug Market on Friday and demanded that official minutes of the board meeting held on June 30 be released. They added that the sit-in will continue at night as well.

Councillors staged a sit-in on Friday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The board meeting held on June 30 was called by Mayor Sunita Dayal. During the session, the board, with a resounding majority, rejected the proposed property tax hike as per the newly implemented structure. Ever since, the councillors have been demanding that the official minutes of the meeting, which had only one agenda, should be prepared and released at the earliest.

The minutes also hold significance as three former councillors have already moved to Allahabad high court in a public interest litigation (PIL) to oppose the property tax hike, which they say will burden residents.

“About 30-35 councillors of various parties staged a sit-in at the corporation headquarters, demanding immediate release of the minutes. We met officials earlier this week and gave them a deadline that minutes should be released by July 17. Otherwise, we will launch agitation. Still, the minutes were not released, and councillors arrived for a sit-in protest. We have decided that the sit-in will continue during the day and night as well,” said Gaurav Solanki, councillor from ward 76 of Vaishali – 1, adding that there is no reason to delay the release.

“The minutes will tell the official position of the corporation and also about the board’s rejection of the property-tax hike. The minutes are not getting released as the next hearing in the PIL is on July 29, and officials do not want that board’s official position (of the rejection of the hike) to be disclosed. Delay in releasing minutes indicates that the officials are undermining the board and also the councillors, who are public representatives. The public is affected by the hike in tax and seeking answers from us,” said Himanshu Sharma, councillor from ward 75 of Rajendra Nagar – 1.

“I have asked the corporation officials several times to expedite framing the minutes and get it released. I will not allow a hike in tax till the tax is correctly ascertained,” said Mayor Sunita Dayal.

Additional municipal commissioner, Jung Bahadur Yadav, when asked about the delay said that the minutes have not been prepared yet. “We are busy in Kanwar Yatra, and the minutes will be issued later,” said Yadav.